Classical Notes: April 25, 2011 Archive

With warmer weather, hopefully where you live, there comes more time spent outdoors, walking, jogging, yard work or just sitting on the porch. We've curated a few playlists to accompany whatever you're doing. Listen to Morning Glories for some other suggestions (you can check the titles and composers on our playlist page). You will also find links where you can purchase the music, load it to your mp3 device, and you're set for spring! Here are our first set of suggestions:

Gustav Mahler: Songs of a Wayfarer: "Morning walk"
The bird's song in the first verse says it all: "Isn't it becoming a fine world? Chirp! Chirp! Fair and sharp! How the world delights me!" (Translation from the Lied, Art Songs, and Choral Texts Page, http://www.recmusic.org/lieder/get_text.html?TextId=10693)Listen

Aaron Copland: Appalachian Spring
Copland's "Appalachian Spring" might not have been intended to depict the season, but still has the fresh feeling of a new beginning, complete with sunrise, dance, and optimism.Listen

Lieberson was a practicing Buddhist and influenced by the teachings of Chogyam Trungpa. He won the Grawemeyer Award in 2007 for Neruda Songs, a loving cycle for soprano and orchestra setting some of the Love Sonnets of Chilean poet Pablo Neruda, and composed for Lorraine Hunt Lieberson. In addition to his work with major orchestras such as Boston, New York, Cleveland, Chicago, and Los Angeles, Lieberson collaborated with musicians, such as Peter Serkin, Yo-Yo Ma, Emanuel Ax, and Oliver Knussen.